War On Women Continues: Ohio Revives Extreme Anti-Abortion Bill

Source: ThinkProgress

By Tara Culp-Ressler on Nov 9, 2012 at 11:00 am

Last year, anti-choice advocates in Ohio pushed extreme legislation to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected — which often occurs as early as six weeks, before many women may even know they’re pregnant. So-called “heartbeat” bills like HB 125 are so radical that they often divide the anti-abortion community, and this particular legislation has been stalled in the Ohio Senate since June 2011.

But now, thanks to significant pressure from the anti-choice groups who were the biggest proponents of the heartbeat bill last year, HB 125 may be up again for consideration in Ohio’s Senate as early as next week:

Mired in the Ohio Senate since June 2011, HB 125 is getting another look, Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, told The Enquirer Thursday. He said a substitute bill is being prepared.

(Anti-abortion group Faith2Action) took aim at Niehaus and other legislators, including Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, trying to pressure them into moving the bill. They and other legislators were inundated with telephone calls, emails and post cards from supporters of the bill. TV ads, billboards and even an airplane circling the statehouse dragging a sign targeted legislators....
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Niehaus said he set conditions for reconsidering the bill. He would not say what those conditions are or whether the bill’s proponents had met them. That’s what he’s going to consider next week, he said.

If passed, Ohio’s bill would be the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation — far surpassing a bill in Arizona that currently earns that unfortunate distinction by banning abortions after 20 weeks. HB 125 would criminalize all abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detected without even the narrowest exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or the mental health of the woman.

4. That bill would run afoul of the current jurisprudence on Roe v. Wade

I know conservatives are trying to pass legislation that will result in a case that is ripe to take to the S.C. with a hope they will overturn Roe v. Wade. But this bill, impermissibly interferes with a woman's right to privacy that includes her right to terminate her pregnancy.

These folks are so worried about non-viable fetuses in the womb tut care less about ensuring people have access to healthcare, food, education, housing or retirement security.

6. They see unwanted pregnancy as appropriate punishment for the sin of

8. They hate women

This is simply their way of sending women back to the home.

It's also punishment for women who want to enjoy sex.

If this was simply due to "protecting the unborn," they would be handing out birth control pills like they were candy and pushing for all women to take charge of their fertility. Instead, they are making it more and more difficult for women to get birth control. It's sickening.

11. Gerrymandering result

This is exactly what happens when your congressional districts have been rigged to elect republicans and extremists grab the primaries. This is why we will soon start collecting signatures to prevent this gerrymandering which allows and encourages pandering to extreme views and big money donors rather than accountability tot he people. Our imperfect attempt to do this (Issue 2) failed but we will improve and move a new bill to get rid of the gerrymandering onto the ballot. We will not quit until citizens of Ohio are fairly represented.
We made mistakes for a number of reasons, letting this issue (Issue 2} fail. While there was lot of PAC money against us, we could have beaten it and won. We will do better. Anyone who wants to help protect the rights of Ohio citizens and prevent gerrymandering determining who has the majority of the members of the House of Representatives contact VotersFirst in Ohio to help.
I guess this is a national issue and must be examined everywhere and then defeated if we really want to do what the framers of our constitution wanted.

12. Timing!

Up to now, the SC has been reluctant to take up Roe vs Wade, willing to wait assuming that Obama would be a one term President. Now that he is re-elected and in the position to replace retiring Justices, any bet this time around the Roberts court will take up Roe vs Wade at the first opportunity before Obama has a chance to lock in a liberal court for decades.